South African children's literature and the teaching of creative writing in diverse contexts
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Authors
Greyling, Franci
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Unisa Press
Abstract
The training of creative writers in South Africa requires a programme that is able to
address the country’s complex cultural and linguistic composition. There is an increasing
awareness of the importance of cultural and language identity and the need for a variety
of children’s literature in all languages. Although there are many talented storytellers
in South Africa, there is still a need for new writers who can meet this demand. In this
article the basic principles of teaching creative writing are set within the context of
teaching creative writing for children, which can serve as a basis for tuition in diverse
training contexts. The approach integrates identifi ed principles derived from different
theoretical paradigms on thoughts of literacy, creativity, creative writing and literary
theory, combined with years of practical experience. Core principles identifi ed are the
consideration of the context, the primary means of cultural transference in a community,
the complex dynamics of the creative process, the articulation of relevant content and
the application of the principles in specifi c teaching and learning environments. These
principles inform the general approach to the courses, the structuring thereof, and the
selection of appropriate content. The approach is illustrated with reference to various
courses and activities and South African children’s literature.
Description
Citation
Greyling, F. 2011. South African children's literature and the teaching of creative writing in diverse contexts. Mousaion, 29(3):41-58. [http://reference.sabinet.co.za/sa_epublication/mousaion]